To think primary transition days aren’t much help if you work?

Anyone you can offer to pick up their child on the day you can do?

A neighbour? Local teen you could pay, GCSEs are over by then.

So many people not reading the OPs posts - why are people going on about staggered starts etc. in September when the OP is talking about transition visits in Summer term? Although she missed it out of the first post, she has said she's a teacher, so no annual leave to take.

It is a PITA. Those having a go at the OP telling her to suck it up - OP isn’t saying she won’t be doing it, but that it’s awkward to work around. She’s allowed to come on here and have a moan with others who feel the same in solidarity isn’t she? Try being a bit supportive….

My DCs' primary did a full term of half days because they were both winter born. I deferred DC1 because I couldn't get childcare that would do a midday pickup. By the time DC2 started there was such a service available, but I was then having to deal with a small child who was furious that they were not allowed to stay the entire day with their friends, because they were so far past school ready it wasn't real.

Staggered starts are not beneficial for all children.

RTFT.
Op is a teacher, she doesn't get random annual leave, but is off in the school holidays.

How on earth will you cope with all the school hols.

You just have to sort it out. Put your child first . Take some annual leave.

Yeah, that's why I'm not coming back to teaching in England. It's utterly ridiculous...and not even that well paid. It's actually important for me to be able to see my children and I need an employer who is understanding of that.

Although, to be fair, at least one of my headteachers back in England would have been absolutely fine and would have tried to make it work. He's not a head anymore, sadly.

I think they’re bollocks to be honest. My eldest started with 3 weeks of staggered start - first week just a single 2 hour visit, second week he did mornings, third week he did afternoons. Apparently it was so the teacher could do baseline assessments but I don’t believe this for one minute as they didn’t realise he could read for some weeks after this. Thankfully our nursery agreed to keep him on during this time, otherwise I have no idea how we would have managed. My youngest went to a different school where they just started with full days straight away (and he did wraparound 8-5) which was great, the kids all settled really quickly and by 3 weeks in they were all flying with phonics etc. In England you can insist they start with full days straight away, unfortunately in wales that isn’t the case.

I've worked in many schools and this has simply not been the case. All my teachers friends have the same issue.

Are you a teacher? Maybe me and my friends have been very unlucky that we've never been allowed this time.

Bless you. Helping out like this.

No, they normally have an understanding head who will facilitate it for them instead.

Teachers don't get annual leave they can book.

You realise that most teachers already spend far more than 5 days of our holidays in our classrooms or doing other prep. Unpaid of course.

But yes, I think having 5 flexible days teachers could book a year would massively help with the current recruitment and retention crisis. Assuming we weren't expected to plan and resource the work or mark the work for these days. (Like most of us are forced to do when we are off work unwell!)

Seriously though, I missed every single assembly, school play and sports day, plus my kids didn't get to attend their transition days, at all, because I was a teacher. Even the option of unpaid leave would have appealed to me back then.

Its easy enough to do "see all" for the OPs posts if you're going to comment on something many pages in.

We prioritised annual leave for the school holidays which then reduced the amount of time they were in holidays clubs ( which admittedly they loved).

A staggered start wasn’t a priority for us so we sent them full time from day one

This is what annual leave is for. Prioritise your child. It’s an important time.

We sent DT’s full time from day one as a staggered start wasn’t in their best interests or mine and DH’s.

We had three weeks! First week mornings (two days with parent/carer), second week afternoons (two days with parent/carer) third week one morning with lunch, one afternoon starting at lunch (with parent/carer) three full days, but starting at 9am and finishing at 3pm.

Was it a nightmare to sort out with work, yes, but schools don't arrange it to be awkward to parents, they do what they think is best for the child. Once I had sorted childcare it was actually quite a nice transition for us, and had some lovely days at the school we got to know the staff. My son settled very well

It is entirely unsurprising reading these types of threads that the birth rate is tanking.

My daughters are now finishing uni, but their previous primary school no longer does transition weeks.

DD24 had 4 weeks of crap...
Week 1 - Tue, Wed and Fri mornings til 12.
Week 2 Mon, Tue, Wed til 2 so they get used to lunch.
Week 3 Mon Wed, Thu all day, Fri til 12.
Week 4 Mon all day, Tue til 2, Wed all day, Thu til 2... ready to start on Monday.
Absolutely bat shit crazy for working parents.

DD22... 1 week ... Mon, Tue, Wed til 12. Thu, Fri til 1.30 (after lunch.)

Nowadays they just go straight in, full days.

So do you think they should make the transition days like 8.30-6 for working parents, or not have them at all?

Some years ago now, but we had a month of half days when starting primary!

Wasn't in the OP but update. So don't do the transition days. The handwringing on here is getting ridiculous.

Missed that in the updates. So don't do it. I don't get the handwringing going in.

@RareGoalsVerge and @Attictroll not everyone has the luxury of 4 grandparents willing or able to help out.

It’s funny how living in a village like @doodleschnoodle actually makes things like this easier.
My area only does one visit in the summer term but the schools do short days all of September and some even into October. It’s really difficult for parents because whatever the previous childcare arrangements were (if a nursery or childminder) they want people signed up for the full year. I’ve got unpaid leave for the whole of September which is not possible for everyone.